Process for preparing raw tobacco for a tobacco cutting machine



w. F. SCHNEIDER PROCESS FOR PREPARING RAW TOBACCO FOR A TOBACCO CUTTING MACHINE Filed March 6, 1931 Fig.1

2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Jan. 9, 1934., w. F. SCHNEIDER 4 4 PROCESS FOR PREPARING RAW TOBACCO FOR A TOBACCO CUTTING MACHINE Filed March 6, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig.1

t/ 4 EVWIW l /0 61 fizf Y 7 Patented Jan. 9, 1934 FOR A TOBACCO CUTTING MAC PROCESS FOR PREPARING RAW TOBACCO HlNE Willy Friedrich Schneider, Dresden,

assignor' to Universelle Fabrik, J. C. Muller Germany Application March 6, 1931, Serial No.

Germany, Cigarettenmaschinen- & Company, Dresden,

and in Germany March 10, 1930 12 Claims.

Whereas formerly the raw tobacco for tobacco cutting machines was prepared by laborious hand labour, the modern process for the manufacture of cigarettes made it desirable to prepare the raw tobacco by purely mechanical means thus saving time and labour. The so-called pneumatic loosening and cleaning in conjunction with mechanical mixers solves the problem. It has, however, been found that this treatment is only successful with raw tobacco, the individual leaves of which do not adhere particularly closely together, as in the case of the so-called tongues. However, in the case of socalled plug tobacco or manipulated goods in which the individual leaves are arranged carefully in layers and pressed, the pneumatic loosening and cleaning is only partially successful or even fails completely.

The object of this invention is to produce an apparatus for such raw tobacco, which as far as the nature of the tobacco permits, prepares the raw tobacco for the tobacco cutting machine in such manner that the raw tobacco can be carefully loosened and well mixed in a predetermined position and passed to the tobacco cutting machine. Whilst for attaining the purpose the apparatus partly includes known devices, only the present combination renders possible the semimechanical treatment of the not readily loosened raw tobacco leaves in an uninterrupted process.

Also, the problem remains to be solved as to how to proportion the various kinds of tobacco relatively to the aroma effect during the preparation of the tobacco.

In order to carry out the present invention, in

a single, or preferably severally juxtaposed, channel-like containers, large quantities of raw tobacco taken from bales containing several different kinds of tobacco (in the case of smaller bales the whole bale, if necessary) are introduced,

40 moistened layer-wise, and allowed to stand for aconsiderable time (preferably 24 hours) in order to produce a thorough moisteni'ng and a mixing of the aroma, whereupon by slow movement of the bottom of the container, which is 4 in the form of a conveyer beltf the preliminary mixture of the-tobacco is moved forward towards a transversely arranged collector conveyer belt,

on which bundles removed from the supply of tobacco are deposited separately at the mouth of the channel.

The raw tobacco roughly mixed in this manner is then subjected to a finer mixing before it reaches the tobacco cutting machine, in that the bundles of tobacco desposited on the collecting belt, if necessary by the interposition of'further conveyor belts, are distributed by a distributing device to a number of conveyor belts for the purpose of obtaining a fine mixture, on which belts the loosening of the tobacco is performed, whereupon the separate leaves are again collected on a collecting conveyer belt which distributes the tobacco leaves in known manner among filling boxes on rotating discs and at the same time straightens the leaves.

Fig. 1 of the annexed drawings is a diagrammatic side view. l

Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic plan, and

Fig. 3 is a detail view.

In the form of construction shown in the drawings, five channel-shaped containers 1 are provided, the bottoms of which are formed by the belts 2. Now in these containers, either small bales of tobacco are loosened or in the case of larger bales large quantities of raw tobacco removed therefrom are introduced.

Now one kind of tobacco can be introduced layer-wise into each channel, or quantities of tobacco taken from bales of difierent kinds of tobacco can be introduced directly into one and the same channel. The latter procedure is recommended in the case of manufacture on a small scale, but is also suitable for manufacture on a large scale, because owing to the fact that the previously mixed raw tobacco remains longer in the container 1 after the separate layers have been suitably moistened, not only is the correct degree of moistening obtained for the total quantity of tobacco but at the same time an assimilation and. an equalization of the aroma is obtained. v c

When only one kind of tobacco is introduced into each container, the mixing proportion is obtained by using a corresponding number of containers for one kind of tobacco, for instance. when using three kinds of tobacco the proportion might be 2:2:1.

In any case, the tobacco remains in the container'for a long time, for instance 24 hours, in order that all the tobacco may be uniformly moistened, and when several kinds of tobacco are introduced into one container, a thorough mixing or assimilation of the aroma should simultaneously occur. When this period of waiting has elapsed, the conveyer belts 2 are gently set in motion, in the direction indicated by the arrow. These conveyer belts 2 are preferably made of textile fabric covered with rubber because experience has shown that such belts best resist the eflect of moisture etc. and do not affect the aroma of the tobacco.

The tobacco is moved slowly towards the mouth of the channel, as can be seen in Fig. 3, and a transversely moving belt 3 is provided in front of the channel openings. In front of this conveyer belt 3, operative positions 4 are provided, where operators sit opposite the ends 1' of the channel-shaped containers and remove the separate bundles or bunches of tobacco from the containers which face them. These bunches are placed separately on the conveyer belt 3 which travels in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 2. The conveyer belt 3 transfers the separate bundles to an obliquely rising conveyer belt 5, which delivers them a floor higher to a conveyer belt 6. The latter transfers the bundles to the conveyer belt 7 which passes them on to the distributor 8.

Now from the distributor 8 three slideways 9, 10 and 11 lead to three conveyer belts '12. In the distributor 8; guide rails or adjustable flaps are provided, by the adjustment of which the slideways are more or less closed, whereby the supply to the individual slideways is cut off or regulated. The conveyer belts 12 are provided with operative positions 13 from which the operators taken the bundles of tobacco resting on the conveyer belts 12 and pull apart the separate leaves which are thrown on to further conveyer belts 14 running under and parallel to the conveyer belt 12, by means of oblique slideways 14.

The conveyer belts 12 now deliver the tobacco leaves to the conveyer belt 15, to which any other additions are delivered at the point 16. The leaves pass from the conveyer belt 15 over the conveyer belt 17 into the container 18, from which they are passed over the slideway 19 into the cases 21 mounted on the rotating disc 20. The intermittently actuated flaps 22'mounted on the slideway l9, serve to straighten out the leaves, in that these members stop the: leaves when sliding, which tends to give a transverse position to the leaves which slide downwards mainly in the direction of the main rib.

When the boxes on the rotating disc 20 are full, and if they are to be exchanged for new boxes, the flap 23 is turned into the position indicated by dotted lines, so that the tobacco-leaves slide from the conveyer belt 17 on to the con- .veyer belt 24. While the full boxes are being conveyed to the cutting machine, the conveyer belt 24 passes the tobacco leaves to a container 18'. Here also the slideway 19 is provided with the flaps 22', which have the same function as the flaps 22. The slideway 19' passes the tobacco leaves into the filling boxes" 21' on the rotating disc 20'. Now as soon as the boxes 21' are filled by turning the flap 23 into the position indicated the tobacco leaves are again passed into the boxes 21 which have been emptied in the meantime.

Having thus described the nature of the said invention and the best means I know of carrying the same into practical effect, I claim:--

1. A process for preparing raw tobacco for tobacco cutting machines comprising assembling the raw tobacco directly from the bales in piles closing the bottom of said container, a comcollected form, then separating the tobacco into individual leaves and then again collecting said leaves in order to secure a thorough mixture.

2. A process for preparing raw tobacco for tobacco cutting machines comprising assembling the raw'tobacco from the bales in a plurality of piles having a predetermined amount of various types of tobacco therein, moistening said piles, allowing said piles to stand to secure a proper aroma mixture, then collecting said piles by individual hands into one mixture, then. distributing said mixture into a plurality of piles, separating the hands in each of these lastnamed piles into individual leaves and then again assembling the leaves from all of said piles into a common pile.

3. A process for preparing rawtobacco for cutting machines comprising assembling the raw tobacco from bales into a plurality of piles, then allowing the aroma from different types of tobacco to be thoroughly intermingled, then separating the individual hands of tobacco from the various piles and blending the hands from all the piles together, then again distributing the blended hands into individual piles, then separating the individual hands into the leaves of tobacco and then again assembling all the leaves into a common pile.

4. A process for preparing raw tobacco for cutting machines comprising assembling the raw tobacco from bales into a plurality of piles, then allowing the aroma from different types of tobacco to be thoroughly intermingled, then separating the individual hands of tobacco from the various piles and blending the hands from 1 all the piles together, then again distributing the blended hands into individual piles, then separating the individual hands into the leaves of tobacco, then again assembling all the leaves into a common pile and then distributing the 1 5 tobacco into individual boxes.

5. The process of preparing raw tobacco for tobacco cutting machines comprising assembling the tobacco from bales in a plurality of piles, then combining the tobacco from said 120 piles, then separating the combined tobacco and then again reassembling the tobacco.

6. An apparatus for preparing raw tobacco comprising a plurality of containers for the raw tobacco, a plurality of endless belts serving as 125 the bottoms of said containers and an endless belt located adjacent said endless belts serving as the bottoms of said containers for transporting the articles forwarded by said belts forming the bottoms of said containers along a common path.

7. An apparatus for preparing raw tobacco comprising a plurality of open bottom containers, a series of conveyors closing the bottoms of said containers, a common conveyor for said series of conveyors, a distributor to which said common conveyor leads, a plurality of endless belts fed by said distributor and a common conveyor adapted to receive tobacco from said last-named plurality of belts.

8. An apparatus for preparing raw tobacco comprising a plurality of containers having open bottoms, an endless conveyor for each container mon conveyor adapted to receive tobacco from said series of conveyors, a distributor adapted to receive the tobacco from said common conveyor, a plurality of endless belts fed with tobacco from said distributor, a second series of conveyors located below said last-named conveyors and a common conveyor adapted to receive the tobacco from said second series or conveyors.

9. An apparatus for preparing raw tobacco comprising a plurality of containers having open bottoms, an endless conveyor for each container closing the bottom of said container, a common conveyor adapted to receive tobacco from said series of conveyors, a distributor adapted to receive the tobacco from said common conveyor, a plurality of endless belts fed with tobacco from said distributor, a second series of conveyors located below said last named conveyors, a common conveyor adapted to receive the tobaccc from said second series of conveyors and a second distributor to which said tobacco is led by said last conveyor.

1%. for preparing raw tobacco comprising a plurality of containers having open bottoms, an endless conveyor for each container closing the bottom said container, a common conveyor adapted to receive tobacco from said series of conveyorsa distributor adapted to receive the tobacco from said common conveyor, a plurality of endless belts fed with tobacco from said distributor, a second series of conveyors located below said last-named conveyors, a common conveyor adapted to receive the tobacco from said second series of conveyors, a second distributor to which said tobacco is led by said conveyor and a series of distributors to which said tobacco is led intermittently for distributing said prepared tobacco to boxes.

11. An apparatus for preparing raw tobacco comprising a plurality of containers having open bottoms, an endless conveyor for each container closing the bottom of said container, a common conveyor adapted to receive tobacco from said series of conveyors, a distributor adapted to receive the tobacco from said common conveyor, a plurality of endless belts fed with tobacco from said distributor, a second series of conveyors located below said last-named conveyors, a common conveyor adapted '-to receive the tobacco from said second series of conveyors, a second distributor to which said tobacco is led by said conveyor, a series of distributors to which said tobacco is led intermittently for distributing said prepared tobacco to boxes and means for aligning the leaves tobacco.

12. An apparatus for treating raw tobacco comprising a storage receptacle for the raw tobacco in hands wherein the tobacco taken from the bundles can be moistened in layers prior to the separation thereof, an endless conveyor belt forming the bottom of said receptacle, aseparator table and a second conveyor belt leading from said first conveyor belt to. said separator table.

' WHLY FRIERICH SCHDEIDER. 

